Real-World Python (A Hacker's Guide to Solving Problems with Code)

A project- based approach to learning Python programming for beginners. Intriguing projects teach readers how to tackle challenging problems with code.

Computer programming is about solving real problems with code. Real World Python is a collection of worked projects for readers who know some basic Python and want to do something with their knowledge. The book's short projects all teach thought processes and problem-solving as well as coding syntax. Readers learn to think their way through challenges like predicting the location of sailors lost at sea, discovering new planets, determining the author of a novel, selecting candidate landing sites for a Mars rover, programming a robot sentry gun to detect and shoot aliens (not humans), and more. The book should appeal to younger learners and mature readers, especially scientists and engineers looking to increase their Python skills. Most chapters give the reader a role (NASA intern, Coast Guard Director of Operations, linguistic detective, UN diplomatic associate, Aliens movie franchise Colonial Marine, and so on). Vaughan walks readers through planning and implementing solutions to complex problems. The book's various projects introduce important Python modules, like NLTK and OpenCV, which are used extensively in data analysis and machine learning. By the end of the book readers will be able to think through complex Python projects and have the tools necessary to tackle them.